Most steps in a call center workflow are repeated thousands of times every day. This means that any step you can eliminate or automate will result in a huge productivity gain.
In this article, we’ll cover a number of different strategies for automating elements of your call center workflow. Some methods involve new technology, others involve doing more with what you probably already have.
1. Optimize skills-based routing
This is not a new technology, but many call centers are not maximizing its value. Skills-based routing automatically directs callers to the right agent based on defined criteria such as preferred language, technical skills, or product knowledge.
Pretty simple, right?
Your Interactive voice response (IVR) collects information and forwards the call to your Automatic call distributor (ACD), which forwards your call to an appropriate agent. (If any of this sounds unfamiliar, check out my article on call routing, which describes this entire process.)
Here are some strategies you can use to ensure that any skills-based routing system you have in place is automated as much as possible:
- Regularly update agent skills: Ensure agent skill profiles match their performance and completed training. If you can automate this process, great: it must be done for skills-based routing to work well.
- Use customer histories: Past interactions can predict the best agent for each caller’s needs. Routing calls to agents who have successfully resolved similar issues before works well, as does routing callers to agents who have already helped them, if possible.
- Use behavior-based routing: Customer behavior data, such as recent interactions with a specific product category or activity on a web application, can be used to direct calls. If someone is browsing commercial products on a company’s website, they probably won’t need a residential service representative.
- Using CRM data during calls: CRM data during calls to route customers to agents who know their history or to prioritize qualified leads.
- Use of AI and machine learning: Integrate AI to analyze call data and adapt routing strategies in real time.
Skills-based routing can be even more powerful when combined with advancements like conversational IVR that uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand a caller’s spoken request.
See: Learn five more benefits of conversational IVR for call centers.
2. Deploy visual IVRs
Visual IVR directs callers to a website to do what an agent would normally do. Customers can visually navigate options and make selections using a keyboard or touchpad.
Typically, a visual IVR website is mobile optimized and the customer arrives via a link provided on their phone.
Instead of relying solely on voice prompts (like you would with a traditional IVR), customers can see menu options displayed visually, allowing them to select their preferences with a simple tap. This is great for planning. Allow customers to select appointments from a visual calendar instead of asking a customer service representative to view a calendar and relay the information verbally.
For product returns, customers can upload photos via visual IVR. There are so many actions that would require a human agent that a visual IVR can completely eliminate. It’s also liberating for callers, who can go through the steps at their own pace rather than having to stay on the line.
See: Learn more about five Real-World Visual IVR Use Cases.
3. Divert calls to chatbots
Call center chatbots automate call center workflows by handling routine inquiries and providing immediate responses to customers. AI in call centers it’s much better. Today’s chatbots can understand and answer common questions, allowing them to help customers resolve issues like order tracking, account information, and troubleshooting without requiring human intervention.
Call centers can divert calls to chatbots by implementing a proactive messaging system on their website or mobile app. For example, when a customer visits the support page and initiates a call, a pop-up message may appear offering immediate assistance via a chatbot.
Chatbots can also collect valuable data during interactions, such as customer preferences and feedback. This information can be analyzed to identify trends, improve services and refine future interactions.
Call center chatbots are not intended to replace human agents but rather to empower them. By handling routine tasks, AI assistants allow agents to focus on complex issues and provide a more personalized touch, creating a complete customer service experience.
SEE: Discover call center chatbot examples in action.
4. Optimize your knowledge base
A call center knowledge base serves as a central repository of information allowing agents to quickly access answers about products, services and procedures. This reduces the time agents spend searching for answers, leading to faster call handle times and better first call resolution rates.
Essentially, you’re automating the process of agents having to search for an answer while they have a customer on the line. This efficiency not only benefits agents, but also improves the overall customer experience by enabling faster responses.
Additionally, many knowledge bases offer customer portals, allowing customers to find answers to common questions on their own, further reducing the number of inbound calls.
To maximize the effectiveness of a knowledge base, training and onboarding programs should include guidance on how to use the knowledge base effectively, so new agents can hit the ground running.
Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge base is no easy feat. I know that, and an outdated knowledge base is almost more dangerous than not having one.
But if you’re truly trying to speed up call center workflow and find every possible efficiency, ensuring agents always have the best information at their fingertips is a great place to start. Additionally, a call center chatbot trained on a comprehensive knowledge base can be a huge advantage for agents.
5. Enable Agents with Autodialers
Using autodialers can significantly streamline the call center workflow for agents by automating the outbound dialing process. This technology eliminates the tedious task of manually dialing numbers and leaving voicemails, allowing agents to focus on interacting with customers.
There is different types of autodialers. Some will start a call as soon as an agent is ready, others will make multiple calls at once and only connect an agent when a call is answered.
I’m not going to exaggerate on this – it’s very simple – you can save agents a lot of time every day by automating calls with a dialer. Without having to wait for ringtones, a single agent making more than 100 calls per day is completely normal. 150 calls are not out of the question.
6. Suggest a reminder schedule
This innovative feature allows callers to request a call back from an agent at a more convenient time, eliminating the frustration of waiting on hold.
How do reminders work? Suppose a customer calls a busy call center during peak hours and is greeted with an automated message offering a 10-minute wait time. Frustrated, the customer chooses to use the callback schedule feature instead.
The system automatically places the customer in a virtual queue and disconnects the call. The agent then receives a notification when their chosen callback time arrives, allowing them to connect directly with the customer, eliminating wait time and providing a more convenient experience for everyone.
Happier customers mean happier agents. And when automations like these free up and enable agents to better serve callers, the entire business thrives.
